A blue background with two glasses in front filled with red wine, slices of orange and cinnamon sticks

If you're prepping for Christmas, check out our picks of the best Christmas crackers to buy filled with foodie treats, from popcorn to miniature cocktails.

Christmas punch recipes

Christmas punch

Our classic Christmas punch blends red wine with cherry brandy, plenty of fresh spices and citrus. Best served warm and garnished with cinnamon sticks, it's the perfect pick-me-up on a chilly winter night.

Two glass mugs filled with a cherry cup and an orange slice

Mulled wine

This warming, richly spiced tipple is an absolute Christmas classic. Try our homemade version, pepped up with a splash of brandy.

Mulled port with bay and rosemary

Warm those cockles with a heady concoction of ruby port, cinnamon, black peppercorns, bay leaves, cloves and rosemary – the perfect Christmas tipple. Make a batch to serve eight and let guests help themselves.

Two glasses of mulled port with sprig of rosemary inside

Mulled tea punch

This is a take on kinderpunsch, a non-alcoholic German drink served as an alternative to glühwein. Make this easy, booze-free drink over the festive season.

Glühwein

The addition of rum to this Christmas market classic works really well – we've added some here to compensate for the evaporation of alcohol during cooking, but it’s not essential if you prefer your drinks a little less punchy.

Mulled beer

Forget cider and wine: mulled beer is the thing to be drinking this year over the festive season. Our recipe has Christmassy flavours of cinnamon, cloves, star anise and clementine. Simply heat everything together in a pan to the quantities you need.

Mulled old fashioned

This festive twist on a classic cocktail features a homemade syrup infused with cinnamon, orange and cloves for a warming, subtly spiced result.

A red cocktail in a tumbler with a twist of lemon peel on the top

Mulled white wine

Move over red: mulled white wine with a splash of dry cider is here, and its comforting winter spices are guaranteed to leave you feeling festive and merry this Christmastime. Heat until the sugar has dissolved, then serve steaming mugfuls to thirsty guests.

Skipper punch

A strong punch that doesn't break the bank. Very fast to make with only four ingredients, it will surely be a winner in the drinks department and is ideal if you're entertaining. The balance of bitterness, sweetness and fruity white port makes for a sumptuous sipper.